Abiko, Chiba

Abiko 我孫子市
City
Abiko City Hall Abiko City Hall
Flag of Abiko Flag Official seal of Abiko Seal
Location of Abiko in Chiba Prefecture Location of Abiko in Chiba Prefecture
Abiko
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Chiba Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Junichiro Hoshino (since January 2007)
Area
• Total	43.19 km2 (16.68 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population (April 2012)
• Total	132,999
• Density	3,080/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Postal code	270-1192
City symbols
• Tree	Zelkova serrata
• Flower	Azalea
• Bird	Eurasian coot
Phone number	04-7185-1111
Address	1858 Banchi, Abiko-shi, Chiba-ken 270-1192
Website	Abiko City

Abiko (我孫子市, Abiko-shi) is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

As of April 2012, the city has an estimated population of 132,999 and a population density of 3080 persons per km². The total area is 43.19 km².

Geography

Abiko is located in the far northwestern corner of Chiba Prefecture, bordered by the Tone River to the north.

Neighboring municipalities

• Chiba Prefecture
  • Inzai
  • Kashiwa
• Ibaraki Prefecture
  • Toride
  • Tone

History

The area around Abiko has been inhabited since Japanese Paleolithic times, and archaeologists have found stone tools dated from 30,000 years ago. During the Edo period, Abiko was a river port on the Tone River and a post station on the Mito Kaidō, a highway connecting Edo with Mito. After the Meiji Restoration, Abiko Town was created in Minamisoma District, Chiba Prefecture on April 1, 1889, along with the town of Fusa and village of Kohoku. Abiko was transferred to Higashikatsushika District in 1897. On November 1, 1954, it annexed neighboring Tomise village from the same district. On April 29, 1955, Abiko annexed Fusa Town and Kohoku Village. Abiko achieved city status on July 1, 1970. In 2003, a proposal to merge Abiko with neighboring city of Kashiwa and the town of Shōnan was defeated by a public referendum. Parts of the city were damaged by soil liquefaction due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Economy

Abiko is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo.

Education

Universities

• Chuo Gakuin University
• Kawamura Gakuen Women's University

Transportation

Railway

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Jōban Line
  • Abiko – Tennōdai
• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Narita Line
  • Abiko - Higashi-Abiko - Kohoku - Araki - Fusa

Highway

• Jōban Expressway
• Japan National Route 6
• Japan National Route 294
• Japan National Route 356

Point of Interests

• Akebonoyama Park
• Abiko City Museum of Birds
• Abiko City Library
• Yamashina Institute for Ornithology

Notable people

• Isao Aoki – professional golfer
• Makoto Kaneko – professional baseball player
• Hajime Meshiai –professional golfer
• Seiji Ebihara –professional golfer
• Asuka Tono – Takarazuka musician
• Morinosuke Chiwaki – founder of Japan Dental Association

External links

• Abiko City official website (Japanese)
• Abiko City official website
• Yamashina Institute for Ornithology website